Ahead of selling your home, there are a few things that you should be prepared to do – and one of them is to turn it into a place where anyone can live. The longer you have been in your home, the more of your personality it is going to have – and the harder that could be for potential buyers. 
Photo by Tania MelnyczUn
Potential buyers and people viewing your home need to be able to picture their lives there. And there are two things our guest author shares that can help that to happen: 1) depersonalization and 2) turning as much of it as possible into a blank canvas. It might come as a surprise to know that many people skip this step, but you can avoid pitfalls when selling a home with a little bit of research and time.
So here are a few tips for turning your home into a house that anyone could move into and creating that perfect blank canvas.
Plan, plan, plan!
You know the saying is you fail to plan, then you plan to fail? This applies here quite heavily! You need to have a clear idea of how much of a blank canvas you want to create and how long you have to do it. Most often, when people are moving home, a run-in of about six months is ideal; more can be better.
Make a note of every task that needs to be done, and add a deadline – deadlines are one way to make sure that you stay on track.
Storage
The humble storage facility can make a monumental difference when you are going through depersonalization and creating a blank canvas in your home. Anything that you deem to be very personal, photos, and even little trinkets can often be put in storage.
As an added benefit, the storage can be used to put in furniture and other items, helping your property look larger. The upside is that once you have a storage contract, you can usually use it for as long as you need, and it can be budget-friendly, too.
Walls
For those who have wood chips or popcorn, this can be a massive job – but once it is done, you won’t have to hear that as a reason someone isn’t buying the property. Orange walls or patterned wallpapers aren’t everyone’s cup of tea either – so you are better off going for something plain. A plain wall is inviting, it isn’t overwhelming, and it allows people to imagine what they would do with the place.
And once viewers think about what they’d do, they are ever closer to putting in an offer.
The fastest way to get this look is by doing all-white walls; not only is it the perfect blank canvas – but it is great for making the space look bigger, too!
Smells begone!
You most likely don’t smell your dog, cat, hamster, shoe cupboard, or spice and herb rack—people who have never been to your home will, though. We are used to the smells that are most common in our home (unless they are very pungent), and we go a little nose blind.
But each person who steps through the door is coming from a house that doesn’t smell like yours, and so every smell will hit them much harder than you think. You can’t exactly throw Fido out or leave your hamsters outside, but you will need to double down on keeping their sleeping area and food bowls clean.
A deep cleaning by a professional can usually make light work of the things you don’t smell anymore. In combination with some lemony smells or the smell of fresh baked goods, it can work well. Make sure to air the house out for a few hours (even in the cold) to get a nice flow in the house, and it can be smart to open up windows at either end of the house to keep the airflow going while there are viewings.
When it comes to selling your home, it is important that you take the time to turn the home that you know and love into a house again, ready for the next people who buy it to turn it into their home. Dressing the house is important; when removing some personal items, try not to remove the ‘softness’ or how warm and welcoming it is. Adding some fresh flowers, plants, and even candles can work wonders. Failing to make a list and work through it is going to see you rushing to get it done with little time to spare; lists like these can get you off to a great start: Fall Cleaning Tips .